WHY OUR PROGRAM WORKS

Our rehabilitation philosophy is based on providing non-judgmental, loving support for our clients.

Traditionally, the drug and alcohol treatment industry is based on a ‘compliance’ model, and is often administered with a punitive, coercive spirit. The goal is often nothing more than ‘forced abstinence’. At Alo House, we take an entirely different approach. Our rehabilitation philosophy is based on providing non-judgmental, loving support for our clients.

The close-knit, community-based approach that we use aims to empower our clients, and provide them with a sense of comfort and belonging. And we do this in a less restrictive, freer environment. As the author Alfie Kohn shows us, “People will typically be more enthusiastic where they feel a sense of belonging and see themselves as part of a community than they will in a [place] in which each person is left to his own devices.” Ours is a therapeutic, healing community in which we practice a Compassionate Care Model of Treatment.

Our philosophy has to be translated into principles. These principles are how we act with our clients on a daily basis. Staff and clients, alike — the entire community of Alo House — are on a healing journey together, and we hold ourselves to the same principles that we teach our clients to exemplify. This is called the Parallel Process. We believe in ‘connection instead of control’, that we are literally all in this together. It is with this spirit that we inspire and nurture our clients to change their own lives.

As the renowned psychotherapist Carl Rogers taught us with his ‘Client Centered Therapy’, “the individual has within himself or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes and self-directed behavior — and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided.” He called this attitude ‘Unconditional Positive Regard’.

Bob Forrest

Program Co-Founder

I want to treat addicts with dignity, love and compassion. I’m going to be honest with them. I’m not going to be mad at them if they don’t like what I’m trying to help them accomplish. If they fail or stumble or are defiant, I’m not going to get into arguments with them. I just want to love, help, encourage, nurture and steer people in a more positive direction of life.

We provide opportunities to gain awareness, and most importantly, to practice new ‘ways of doing’. We are a doing addiction treatment facility. Because we know that you have to do differently to get differently. For this reason, we provide a great number experiential therapeutic activities. These include life-skills building, and hands-on, real-life, effective guidance in how to create and maintain healthy relationships with self and others.